Using 600EX-RT as a Remote Camera Trigger

I need to be able to hold my flash in my hand, fire it and take a picture with a camera mounted on a tripod. I have Canon 600EX-RT's and the ST-E3. The manual says the flash can fire the camera remotely if I use the SR-N3 cable to connect the ST-E3 to my 5DII with some flash settings. My question is, will the flash fire when doing this? Don't know if I getting the expensive SR-N3 cable will do the trick or should I go with a third party wireless trigger.

I just starting using my 600EX-RT so I'm not an expert by any means. I believe I did read where you could either fire the flash or camera but not both at the same time.

I'm sure someone else will jump in here.

Here is the link for the Canon Learning center where they talk all about it.

http://www.learn.usa.c​anon.com …0exrt.shtml?cat​egoryId=12

In my quick test with the remote camera feature, it appears that activating the link capability to fire the remote camera takes the ST-E3/600EX-RT out of flash mode and into remote camera link mode.

I didn't spend a lot of time but it it will not work unless the ST-E3/600EX-RT is in the hotshoe so no place to put a speedlite.

Based on the first few paragraphes of the article Rand linked to there is a way to make it all work together. But not something for which I have much use since I use RF-603s are remote triggers.

Not sure is this is what your looking for but. Just substitute your in hand 600EX-RT for the ST-E3-RT I think.

a) Set ST-E3-RT (off camera) to Master Linked and set the channel and ID of the ST-E3-RT (per the detailed directions).

b) Set 600EX-RT (on camera) to Slave Linked and set the channel and ID to match the ST-E3-RT

c) set the personal function 7 (P.Fn 07 ) on the on-camera 600EX-RT to 1:On for linked shot. This is done by going to Menu 3 and first holding down the Zm/C. Fn button till it gets in C. Fn mode and the select P. Fn and set option 07 On.

Now your ready. The off camera ST-E3-RT will trigger the shutter using the on-Camera 600EX-RT when you press its REL Button and also trigger the slave flashes!

OK, That makes sense. The on-camera flash is working first as a receiver, then when it sends the fire signal to the camera it accepts the flash fire signal from the camera and transmits fire signals to the slaves.

Clever bit of engineering.